A noose was hung around the neck of a statue of a famous civil rights figure at the University of Mississippi .

Alcohol and racial slurs were hurled at a black student as she walked near the campus .

These two recent , racially charged incidents have some wondering if the school affectionately called Ole Miss is still stuck in the old days . Some alumni say the incidents do not reflect the true character of their alma mater .

In the meantime , the FBI is getting involved in one of the incidents .

Special Agent Daniel McMullen on Friday said the bureau , along with university police , will expand the investigation to determine whether any federal laws were broken in the incident Sunday , when a noose and a flag bearing a Confederate symbol were found placed on the statue of James Meredith .

And an attorney for one of the three students sought for questioning in the statue incident said Friday there is video evidence that absolves his client .

Ken Coghlan said according to law enforcement officials he spoke with , his client is not shown in a video recording of the incident , which occurred Sunday .

`` He did not touch the statue . He was not near the statue . He did n't have any involvement with putting anything on the statue , '' Coghlan said .

`` I 'm extremely distressed and worried my client is being libeled by the university , '' the attorney said .

Coghlan said his client has been `` ruled out '' by the university and has no plans to talk to university police at this time . A lawyer for another of the three accused declined comment Saturday .

Danny Blanton , director of public relations for Ole Miss , said he is not aware of any video of the incident .

Seeking arrests

In a phone interview , Lee Tyner , the general counsel for Ole Miss , said those behind the act have been identified .

`` We believe the three folks we 've identified and provided information to prosecutors about were involved '' in the desecration of the statue , he said .

The three 19-year-olds , whose identities have not been released by police , are from Georgia and are freshmen at Ole Miss , according to a statement from the university 's chief of police , Calvin Sellers .

Sellers said university police `` had gathered enough evidence by late Wednesday to bring charges through the student judicial process against two of the students , and both state and federal authorities were working in close coordination to determine whether criminal charges were applicable , '' the statement said .

The students were set to appear for questioning with university police Thursday , but never showed up , according to the statement .

Racial slurs alleged

In another reported incident involving an Ole Miss student , senior Kiesha Reeves reported to police that Monday , someone threw alcohol at her from a moving car while shouting racial slurs .

Reeves , who is African-American , said she was still emotionally affected by what happened .

Police are investigating the incident , which occurred a few miles off campus at a residential complex that houses mostly Ole Miss students .

`` It 's unclear at this time if the incident is related to the incident last Sunday on campus , '' Oxford Deputy Police Chief James Owens said . `` This is pretty unusual . This is a college town . This does n't usually happen here . ''

`` Not surprised ''

James Meredith became the first black student admitted to Ole Miss in 1962 . And it took a Supreme Court ruling and federal police presence to ensure his admittance .

Meredith , 80 , declined to speak about the noose incident . But his wife said she was not surprised that it happened .

`` I 'm shocked but not surprised by what happened , '' Judy Meredith said . `` I 'm surprised something did n't happen to the statue earlier . ''

Meredith 's son , John , added , `` Obviously there is a little bit of work left to do in terms of our social fabric .

`` My father always has said it 's not a matter of civil rights , it is a matter of citizenship . ''

Ironically , James Meredith has said he is no fan of the statue , that he disapproves of it on biblical grounds and believes it should be removed from campus .

`` It 's a false idol , and it 's an insult not only to God , it 's an insult to me , '' he said in an interview with The New York Times .

Fraternity to suspend Ole Miss chapter

On Friday , the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity said it was `` embarrassed '' to learn the three suspects were members of its organization .

Not only would it expel the three students , the fraternity said , it was going to indefinitely suspend the whole Ole Miss chapter .

`` For this to occur in 2014 is an insult to the legacy of James Meredith , The University of Mississippi community , and the SigEp alumni who fought for racial equality in the late 1950s , '' the fraternity said in a statement .

Students who spoke with CNN affiliate WMC shared similar sentiments :

`` I just feel like whoever did that had to be completely ignorant to the impact that he had on this campus to deface school property and such a monumental statue like that , '' sophomore Raven Lyles said .

`` I think it 's absolutely terrible what they did , '' freshman John Choat said . `` I think they should pay for it . ''

`` To be honest , we have n't come as far as we think we 've come , '' said another student , Bryston Tucker .

Tuohy : Isolated `` stupidity '' is to blame

A few well-known university alums weighed in on the furor . NFL star Michael Oher , who played for the Ole Miss Rebels and was made famous after his story inspired the movie `` The Blind Side , '' took to Twitter on Monday to share his feelings .

`` Ca n't believe they are still doing stuff like that at Ole Miss , '' he tweeted . `` Really a shame !! ''

Leigh Anne Tuohy , the Ole Miss alumna who adopted Oher after she and her husband took him into their home at the age of 16 , said of the statue 's defacing , `` I tell people all the time , I wish there was a cure for cancer -LRB- and -RRB- heart disease , but more so stupidity . ''

However , she said , the university `` has gotten pigeonholed ... as being a racist school , and that is anything but the truth . ''

`` The truth of the matter is I had a black child at Ole Miss and a white child at Ole Miss , '' Tuohy said , `` and it was a wonderful experience . ''

Shay Hodge , a former Rebels wide receiver and teammate of Oher , said `` every school '' has its racists . But Hodge , who also is African-American says he `` always felt welcomed '' at Ole Miss. .

Racism `` happens in every campus , in every high school , in every community , '' Hodge said . `` Because it is not just white people towards blacks , it is blacks towards whites , whites towards Mexicans ... ''

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FBI to investigate for possible federal violations in Ole Miss statue incident

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Attorney for one student says his client was not involved

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A noose and Confederate emblem were found on a statue of James Meredith

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An Ole Miss student says someone in a car threw alcohol on her and yelled racial slurs